Surgery – Diagnostic testing – Detecting nuclear – electromagnetic – or ultrasonic radiation
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-19
2002-12-17
Jaworski, Francis J. (Department: 3737)
Surgery
Diagnostic testing
Detecting nuclear, electromagnetic, or ultrasonic radiation
Reexamination Certificate
active
06494843
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to improvements in a transesophageal ultrasound probe, and more particularly to a transesophageal ultrasound probe including an expandable scanhead.
Various medical conditions affect internal organs and structures. Efficient diagnosis and treatment of these conditions typically require a physician to directly observe a patient's internal organs and structures. For example, diagnosis of various heart ailments often requires a cardiologist to directly observe affected areas of a patient's heart. Instead of more intrusive surgical techniques, ultrasound imaging is often utilized to directly observe images of a patient's internal organs and structures.
Transesophageal Echocardiography (TEE) is one approach to observing a patient's heart through the use of an ultrasound transducer. TEE typically includes a probe, a processing unit, and a monitor. The probe is connected to the processing unit which in turn is connected to the monitor. In operation, the processing unit sends a triggering signal to the probe. The probe then emits ultrasonic signals into the patient's heart. The probe then detects echoes of the previously emitted ultrasonic signals. Then, The probe sends the detected signals to the processing unit which converts the signals into images. The images are then displayed on the monitor. The probe typically includes a semi-flexible endoscope that includes a transducer located near the end of the endoscope.
Typically, during TEE, the endoscope is introduced into the mouth of a patient and positioned in the patient's esophagus. The endoscope is then positioned so that the transducer is in a position to facilitate heart imaging. That is, the endoscope is positioned so that the heart or other internal structure to be imaged is in the direction of view of the transducer. Typically, the transducer sends ultrasonic signals through the esophageal wall that come into contact with the heart or other internal structures.
The transducer then receives the ultrasonic signals as they bounce back from various points within the internal structures of the patient. The transducer then sends the received signals back through the endoscope typically via wiring. After the signals travel through the endoscope, the signals enter the processing unit typically via wires connecting the endoscope to the processing unit.
In order to obtain accurate images of internal organs and structures, such as the heart, it is preferable that the transducer maintain uniform and close contact with the esophageal wall. The close and uniform contact with the esophageal wall typically assists the transducer to receive signals that are minimally distorted.
FIG. 1
illustrates a conventional transesophageal probe
100
according to one embodiment of the prior art. The conventional probe
100
includes an endoscope
110
and a control handle (not shown). The enodscope
110
includes a scanhead
120
that includes a transducer
130
mounted on the scanhead
120
. The transducer
130
includes a direction of view
135
. The transducer
130
comes into contact with an esophageal wall
105
of a patient. The control handle and the scanhead
120
are located at opposite ends of the endoscope
110
. The transducer
130
is connected to the processing unit via wiring (not shown) that extends through the scanhead
120
and throughout the length of the body of the endoscope
110
. The wiring in the conventional probe
100
is then connected via a cable (not shown) to a processing unit (not shown). The processing unit is then connected via wiring to a monitor (not shown) for display of the ultrasound image.
In operation, the scanhead
120
of the probe
100
is introduced into the esophagus of a patient. The probe
100
is then positioned via the control handle so that the internal structure to be imaged is within the direction of view
135
of the transducer
130
. The endoscope
110
of the probe
100
is bent in order to gain leverage so that the transducer
130
located on the scanhead
120
may achieve close and uniform contact with the esophageal wall
110
. That is, the endoscope
110
is wedged into the esophageal wall
105
. Wedging the endoscope
110
into the esophageal wall of the patient may cause discomfort to the patient and/or injure the patient's esophageal wall. In order to maintain close and uniform contact between the transducer
130
and the esophageal wall
105
, the side of the endoscope
110
opposite of the transducer
130
is wedged against one side of the esophageal wall
105
thus pressing the transducer
130
side of the endoscope
110
firmly against the side of the esophageal wall
105
closest to the internal structure being imaged. The transducer
130
then sends ultrasonic signals into the internal structures of the patient and receives the ultrasonic signals that bounce back from the internal structures of the patient. The transducer
130
then sends the ultrasonic signals via wiring through the endoscope
110
to the processing unit. The processing unit then processes and converts the signals into viewable images which are then displayed on the monitor. Once imaging is complete, the endoscope
110
is removed from the patient's esophagus.
Typically, bending the endoscope
110
and wedging the endoscope
110
into the esophageal wall
105
may not be preferable for several reasons. The bending of the endoscope
110
forces the scanhead
120
to engage the esophageal wall at an angle which may negatively impact the transducer's
130
ability to image the internal structure. That is, the operative surface of the transducer
130
on the scanhead
120
is not parallel with the esophageal wall. Instead, the transducer
130
is angled into the esophageal wall. Therefore, the transducer
130
typically is not positioned parallel to the surface of the esophageal wall. Typically, the endoscope
110
is positioned so that the direction of view
135
of the transducer
130
is angled below the structure, or at an acute angle. That is, the direction of view
135
is not at a 90° angle with respect to the structure being imaged. When the direction of view
135
of the transducer
130
is not at a 90° angle with respect to the internal structure being imaged, the image may be distorted due to misleading transducer recordings. That is, the transducer
130
receives signals that bounce back off internal structures that may be at different distances from the transducer
130
if the direction of view
135
was at a 90° with respect to the internal structure. Thus, because the transducer
130
is not parallel and in contact with the esophageal wall
105
, the transducer
130
may receive a distorted image.
That is, because the scanhead
120
is angled into the esophageal wall
105
, the transducer
130
is typically in partial contact with the esophageal wall. Thus, only the portion of transducer
130
contacting the esophageal wall
105
sends signals to, and receives signals from the internal structure being imaged. The partial contact between the transducer
130
and the esophageal wall
105
typically results in the transducer
130
sending and receiving signals with a low amplification. Consequently, the images generated from the received signals are typically incomplete, attenuated, and/or distorted. Typically, incomplete, attenuated, and/or distorted signals are undesirable for accurate medical diagnosis because the image itself is not an accurate portrayal of the internal structure being imaged.
Further, the direction of view
135
of the transducer
130
may cause the endoscope
110
to be mistakenly positioned due to counter-intuitive images displayed on the monitor. That is, the endoscope
110
is positioned via a control handle located on the probe. The control handle is located at the opposite end of the endoscope
110
as the transducer
130
. The endoscope
110
is deflected and bent via the control handle of the probe so that the transducer
130
is tilted upward. Because the transducer
1
Edwardsen Stephen Dodge
Ronander Jon
Dellapenna Michael A.
GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company LLC
Jaworski Francis J.
McAndrews Held & Malloy Ltd.
Vogel Peter J.
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